Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

Russia plan would shift appointment of Constitutional Court chief to parliament

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Speaker of the Russian State Duma Boris Gryzlov said Wednesday that a proposal by President Dmitry Medvedev to allow parliament to select the head of the Constitutional Court will be supported by the parliamentary majority. Under the proposed legislative amendments, the 19 members of the court would no longer have the authority to elect their own president to serve a three-year term. Instead, the president of the court would be chosen by the Russian Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. Gryzlov said the proposed changes are in line with the practices of other countries, citing the US system in which the president nominates all members of the Supreme Court. Critics have said that the move appears to be an attempt by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin [official website to make it easier for himself to run for president before he is eligible in 2012 by limiting potential challenges in the Constitutional Court. In January, amendments to the Russian Constitution extending term limits for the president and members of parliament officially took effect. The amendments extending presidential terms from four to six years and terms for parliament members from four to five years were signed into law by Medvedev in December. Medvedev proposed the changes in his first state of the nation address in November. Critics fear the extension of presidential terms was designed to afford a longer third term for Putin should Medvedev step aside. Kremlin officials contended the amendments would strengthen the political system.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on May 14, 2009 (boomark / email).